Charlene Benton, president of the Ezra Prentice Apartments Neighborhood Association speaks during Tuesday’s Albany Anti-Train Bomb Rally, asking Gov. Andrew Cuomo to keep New Yorkers safe from the health and safety risks crude oil trains pose to residents not only in her development but also statewide.
MIKE McMAHON - mmcmahon@digitalfirstmedia.com

ALBANY >> About 70 people from various area organizations participated in a rally on Tuesday to ask Gov. Andrew Cuomo to ban trains carrying oil from entering New York state.

“Our primary focus here is to relay our message to the governor,” said Sandy Steubing with PAUSE, the People of Albany United for Safe Energy. “He is in charge of the health and safety of the state’s residents.”

The group highlighted information from the National Transportation Safety Board which recommended that the Federal Railroad Administration require railroads to “avoid populated and other sensitive areas” for crude oil, and from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Karl Alexy, who stated that oil tank cars cannot be built robust enough to withstand puncture in derailments at speeds of more than 30 miles per hour.

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Steubing said that the topic of trains with oil being transported through cities is something that many people can relate to, since many live near train tracks, and because of news coverage of oil derailments that have resulted in large explosions, like the disaster in Quebec last year which left more than 40 dead.

“It’s such a connecting issue,” Steubing said at the rally at the Governor’s Mansion Tuesday.

Albany resident Frank Sullivan, another member of PAUSE, said that while he has worked on many issues, this is one that “a lot of people care about,” he said.

“People want to hear about this and get more information. It’s a national issue, it’s a state issue, it’s a local issue,” said Sullivan, adding that the organizations involved with this effort have also just started a door-to-door campaign to disperse more information.

Protestors at the event included those from the Capital Region 350 Climate Action, MoveOn.org of the Capital Region, No Extreme Energy Extraction, Save the Pine Bush, and the Ezra Prentice Tenants Association, which has been at the center of much attention surrounding oil trains traveling through the area since the development is adjacent to the tracks and to the Port of Albany.

In lieu of focusing on oil, those at the rally suggested renewable energy sources like wind, water, and solar.

“It seems crazy to have and build all of this infrastructure for something like oil which has short-term profits,” said Peter Looker with NEEE. He said that some studies and information has shown that the state could rely completely on renewable energy in 20 years just by focusing more on those efforts.

“I’m concerned because I’m a parent,” said Looker, who lives just 500 feet from the nearest tracks in Glenville. “Why risk it?”

The groups also held a vigil in July, which garnered national attention, to commemorate the anniversary of the Quebec tragedy.

Also in July, county officials said they would be voting in the coming months on a possible penalty for late notifications regarding oil spills in Albany County. A committee on crude oil safety has been assembled to research the topic. Albany County Executive Dan McCoy has voiced concerns over oil transport issues in the county since the beginning of the year.

In a prior statement, Cuomo said: “We are reviewing the proposed regulations to ensure they address the critical deficiencies that New York State identified. We remain committed to ensuring the public health and safety of our residents, and look forward to working constructively with the U.S. Department of Transportation and other federal agencies to better protect New Yorkers and all Americans.”